1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable levee system. More particularly, the invention relates to a trailer mounted levee system for transfer of granular material into levee bags for forming levees in flood control systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sandbags have been used for many years in flood control. The use of typical sandbags is very labor intensive because sand, dirt, rocks, and the like are often scooped by handheld shovel means and deposited in sand bags which are manually held open.
Generally during flooding conditions, time is of the essence. As such, manual sandbag filling techniques may result in catastrophic losses since they are time consuming and generally very physically demanding. Some semi-automated sandbagging systems exist which may speed a process but they generally require manual handling of the sandbags once they are filled in order to form the levee.
For instance, various devices have been designed to expedite this time-consuming process. For instance, one invention uses a trailer mounted hopper having an auger disposed beneath the hopper to move sand placed in the hopper to a sandbag, one at a time. The bags must then be manually handled to form the levee.
Another device uses three augers disposed beneath a hopper. The hopper is mounted on a trailer which is mobile and the augers are driven by a combustion engine mounted on the trailer. Therefore the system is self-contained. The augers are driven by the combustion engine. When sand is dumped into the hopper, the augers force the sand to a spout where sandbags are positioned for filling. However, this process is also time-consuming because the bags must be handled by persons forming a levee and the bags are likely a small size due to the trailer design and necessity of human handling.
In view of the deficiencies in known sandbag filling devices, it is apparent that a portable levee system is needed for use with levee bags in order to form levees quickly, safely, and effectively for a plurality of uses wherein sandbags need not be manually handled during or after filling.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable levee system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable levee system having a bag loading apparatus for collapsible levee bags.
It is an even further object of the present invention to provide a system for continuous dispensing of a levee as the portable levee system moves.
Specifically, the present invention provides a portable levee system having continuous dispensing of levee bags comprising a lower frame and a hopper support frame extending from the lower frame. Wheels and tires are rotatably mounted along parallel sides of the lower frame and may be disposed either on an outer portion of the lower frame for bag filling or an inner portion for road travel. Extending between the lower frame and a hopper support frame are trusses and ribs providing strength and rigidity to the portable levee system. The hopper support frame supports a hopper and has a hopper adjustment assembly for raising and lowering the hopper to accommodate bags of various sizes. The hopper adjustment assembly may comprise either a rack and pinion crank or a hydraulic system. Beneath the hopper and depending from the hopper support frame are first and second bag rails. The bag rails are preferably formed of metal and have a first groove and a second groove extending through the bag rail below the first groove. The first groove is preferably circular in shape allowing a substantially spherical head of a bag guide to pass therethrough. Disposed throughout the bag rails are bag guides which allow a bag to be positioned beneath the hopper for filling. The bag guides maybe formed of nylon, polypropylene, or some other lightweight yet strong material being relatively inexpensive.
The hopper adjustment assembly may be used to manually or automatically raise or lower the hopper to allow bags of various sizes. In a first embodiment the hopper adjustment assembly uses a rack and pinion with a hand crank to raise and lower the hopper. In a second embodiment the hopper adjustment assembly uses a jack-screw which may be manually rotated causing linear motion of the hopper. In a third embodiment the hopper may be raised and lowered with a hydraulic system disposed on the portable levee system. The hopper support frame has a plurality of vertical support members having a plurality of adjustment holes spaced therein. A pin may be disposed through an adjustment hole to lock the hopper at a desired height.
The portable levee system further comprises a hitch at the front of the lower frame for connecting the portable levee system to a truck or other pulling device. The portable levee system also comprises a deck positioned near the front of the lower frame. The deck may be used as a base for the hydraulic system or for storage. Adjacent the deck may be a bag loading area wherein a large load of bags may be placed prior to loading onto the bag rails.
All of the above outlined objectives are to be understood as exemplary only and many more objectives of the invention may be gleaned from the disclosure herein. Therefore, no limiting interpretation of the objectives noted is to be understood without further reading of the entire specification, claims, and drawings included herewith.